Time
by Numb3rsfan
Summary: Things are not as simple as they seem when Charlie goes back to the hospital to schedule the surgury to take care of his heart murmur. This is the sequal to Assassin
1. Chapter 1

**Numb3rs**

Title: Time

Author: Numb3rsfan

Warnings: None

Rating: PG-13

Authors Note: This is the sequal to Assassin.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, wish I did, but that honor goes to another.

Summary: Things are not as simple as they seem when Charlie goes back to the hospital to schedule the surgury to take care of his heart murmur.

Chapter One

The sun rose over Pasadena, blanketing the homes in his warmish glare.

As the neighborhood woke up for the morning, so did activity in the Eppes home.

Lights came on, men woke up and breakfast was cooked. It was just like any normal day, except that it wasn't.

Don Eppes trudged down the steps and entered the kitchen where Alan stood, preparing the morning meal.

When everything was ready, Alan placed a plate full of pancakes infront of Don, as well as a bottle of pancake syrup.

Don just sat there, staring at the food, not really wanting to eat it.

Alan sat beside his son, also staring at the food, not really having an appitite to eat.

Don raised his eyes to the morning paper, which sat open, on the dining room table.

He already knew what would be on the morning headline.

_Local Mathematician dies from unknown tumor_

And right below the headline would be a picture of Charlie, his baby brother, smiling at the camara.

He would be looking so happy, so carefree, when in all actuallity, he would be lying dead in the hospital morgue, having died on the operating table when the doctors had begun the surgury to take care of his heart murmur.

Don really missed Charlie, but today espicially today because today was his birthday. Charlie would have turned 31 today, if not for that dang tumor!

Looking over at his father, Don saw Alan push the food away before he stood and walked into the kitchen.

Don quickly returned his attention back to the paper as he shook his head.

This couldn't have happened, Charlie couldn't be dead! Things weren't supposed to happen that way! It was a nightmare, it had to be!

A lite pressure on his arm woke Don up from a somewhat sound sleep.

His vision quickly cleared to see Charlie standing over him, an amused look on his face.

"Charlie?" Don asked as he sat up and stretched out his back muscles, which had cramped up during the night.

"Dad wanted to make sure you were up before 1 o'clock." Charlie said amused as he watched Don's face pale slightly.

Reaching over, Don snatched the LCD clock and gazed at the time, which only read 9:25 a.m..

Don glanced back up at Charlie, who started to chuckle.

A scowl crossed Don's face as he placed the clock back on the dresser and stood up.

"Oh, funny man, eh?" Don called after Charlie.

Charlie just shook his head and left the room, heading downstairs.

Once Charlie was gone, Don allowed the small smile to fade from his face as the dream he had just had came rushing back to him.

_'Least it was just a dream and not reality.'_ Don thought as took off his wrinkled, white shirt and replaced it with a tight, blank, shortsleeved shirt.

Next went the long legged pants, to be replaced with a pair of shorts, which he hardly ever wore except around the house.

Since Don had taken this one day off to be with Charlie and his father, Don didn't want to be stuck in a suit, not since the tempature outside was supposed to be 105 degrees, at least!

Next, off came Don's tie, which he folded up and placed in his dresser drawer, and last but not least, Don leaned down and picked up his office shoes, which were actually a kind of tennis shoe, since his job required the use of some long lasting footwear, Don had to be prepared!

Don stifled a yawn as he trudged to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror.

He looked a little pale still, but the color was returning to his face.

His eyes were slightly red, but hardly noticeable.

Other than that he looked ok, except for his full head of bed hair and his beard, which was going to be annoying him the rest of the day unless he shaved it off.

In minutes, Don had the water running and his comb out. Quickly he watered down and combed out his hair, before he dried it, styled it, and then sprayed a small amount of hairspray on to his hair, to keep it the way he liked it. Next, he shaved off his beard, finally managing not to knick himself this time!

With that done, Don turned off the water and headed downstairs where Charlie was sitting at the table, injoying a nice bowl of cereal.

Upon closer inspection, Don discovered it was that cereal that was supposed to take like the Reese's Buttercup, which actually didn't!

Don remembered when he had first tried that stuff, it was awful and he had barely been able to get down his one bowl of it!

Walking into the kitchen, Don went to the cabinet and took down a cereal bowl.

Next he went to the pantry where the different cereal boxes were.

He looked over the selections and quickly chose his favorite one. The one that tasted like Oreo's.

Taking the box inside, Don poured a bowl full before he grabbed the milk from the fridge and filled the bowl.

Grabbing his bowl, Don went to the drawer and took a spoon and placed it in the bowl.

He then turned and headed out to the dining room.

Setting his bowl on the table, Don pulled out a chair and settled down into it.

Charlie watched his brother settle himself into the chair.

"What's the matter with you?" Charlie asked.

Don glanced at his brother slightly as he took a bite of cereal.

After swallowing his first bite, Don chose to answer Charlie's question.

"Nothing's wrong buddy, just had a bad night."

Charlie nodded his head and turned back to his cereal.

After a few more minutes of silent eating, Charlie spoke again.

"Are you going to the hospital with me?"

"I can if you want me to, buddy." Don replied.

Sitting up straight, Charlie said, "I don't care. It's your day off."

"Well, Dad said he needed a little help with the yard work this morning.." Don began.

"That's ok Don. Stay here and help dad. I shouldn't be gone long." Charlie said.

His mind already filling with mathmatical stats on which road would get him to the hospital the fastest.

Finishing his cereal, Charlie walked to the kitchen and placed the bowl in the sink before he turned and headed upstairs.

Minutes later he came back with brushed teeth.

Don watched his brother head out the door, and called after him, "See ya later, buddy."

The door slammed shut right after Don finished speaking.

Charlie walked down the steps and walked towards his new car, which was a Chevy Impala.

A month ago he had traded in his other car for this one, which got better mileage and was more reliable than most cars.

Getting in, Charlie started the engine and snapped on his seatbelt.

Next he flipped on the radio, tuning to his favorite station, before he backed out of the drive and headed towards his doctor's appointment.


	2. Chapter 2

Time Chapter Two

Charlie pulled into a vacant parking place and shut the car down.

Since he was a tad early, he stayed in the car a minute thinking.

Today was just a reutiene check up, to make sure he was healing fine, and to start planning for his next surgury...so why was he so scared?

In his heart he knew why. He had a small problem that only he and his family doctor knew about.

Two years ago, when Charlie had first found out he had cancer, he had begged the doctor not to tell his father or Don, knowing that they would panic.

He didn't want to worry them, because he knew that there was nothing that could be done with the type of cancer he had.

The doctor had made it perfectly clear that this cancer would kill him.

Perhaps, not right away, but Charlie would never live a full and healthy life.

What if this was the beginning of the end for Charlie?

Man, he hoped not! He still had plans for his life!

Even if he never would live to a ripe old age, he still had things he wanted to do. Things that would benifit the math community, and the world in general.

The hourly beep of his wristwatch, signaled. Announcing that Charlie should stop daydreaming and get his butt inside the building.

Opening the car door, Charlie stepped out and closed it.

One push of a button and the car doors locked themselves.

Stuffing the carkey into his pocket, Charlie began to walk towards the building.

Now more than ever be wished that he had begged Don to come with him, at least for moral support.

But then if Don had come and the little tumor issue came up, Don would be ragging on him.

Asking him questions, yelling at him for not telling Don or his father anything.

That was something that Charlie didn't want, or need to explain.

Opening the door, Charlie walked in and right up to the sign in desk.

After speaking with the clerk, and signing in, Charlie went to the waiting room and took a seat.

Several minutes past before a side door opened and a nurse with a file in her hand, came out.

"Charles Eppes." She called out.

Charlie stood and approached the nurse, biting his lip nervously.

The nurse led him over to a scale and had him stand on it.

Once she had taken his weight, she led him into a smallish checkup room.

Pointing with her pen to the small exam table, she waited until Charlie climbed up onto the table, the paper that was on the table crinkled under his weight.

Once Charlie was situated, the nurse spoke.

"Ok, you're here for just a reutine checkup?"

Charlie nodded his head as the nurse grabbed a BP cuff and wrapped it around his arm.

She squeezed the pump and the cuff tightened while she took the reading.

After writing the reading down in Charlie's folder, she took the cuff off and placed it back where it belonged.

"Ok, Mr. Eppes. The doctor should be with you shortly." She said as she stuck the folder in the slot on the door and walked out, closing the door behind her.

Charlie remained seated on the kiddie examination table, looking at his hands.

Was it in their nature to make patients wait this long? All of the waiting always got on his nerves!

Finally, Dr. Gary McGann entered the room.

He walked over to Charlie and shook his hand before he took a seat in the small, moveable, four-wheeled stool that he had.

"How are you doing today, Charlie?" Dr. McGann asked.

"Ok. A little nervous, though." Charlie chuckled.

"Well, from your tests, you have every reason to be nervous." Dr. McGann replied with a small, sympathatic smile.

Charlie saw the smile and recognized it for what it was.

"So...I take it that surgury's out of the question." Charlie guessed.

Dr. McGann nodded his head sadly.

"I'm afraid so. At least the conventional surgury is out of the question. It would just kill you quicker. But, there is an experimental surgury that can be tried. It has been known to be sucsessful." Dr. McGann said.

"What kind of surgury?" Charlie asked, open to any suggestions.

"It's a sort of high energy laser. We shoot a beam of high entensity radiation into your heart, which should eliminate the problem. It has been known to work, but the procedure can be deadly." Dr. McGann said.

"Why?" Charlie asked.

"The amount of radiation a patient is subjected to, can be a leathal amount if we're not careful." Dr. McGann replied.

At that, Charlie stopped, thinking about weither he should even try the procedure or not.

If he chose not too, he would still die.

But at least he would die at home, pain free thanks to a PCA pump, like the one his mom had.

Or, if he chose to take it, he could die, in enormous pain thanks to the radiation as it destroyed him from the inside out.

It was a tough desision.

Do nothing and die for sure, or do something and possibly die.

"How...how much time do I have before you need a desision?" Charlie asked weakly.

"I need to know one way or the other by Monday." Dr. McGann said.

Charlie nodded his head as he slid off the table.

"Go home, talk to your father and brother. Get their imput. You shouldn't be in this alone Charlie." Dr. McGann suggested.

Charlie didn't reply as he left the room and stumbled out of the office without paying the co pay.

A nurse tried to get Charlie to go back in and pay, but Dr. McGann stopped her, saying that it was alright.

The doctor watched as Charlie opened his car door and slipped inside before he shut the door again.

Dr. McGann felt so sorry that he couldn't give Charlie the news he wanted to hear, but the facts were the facts, there was no way around them.

One way or the other, Dr. Charles Eppes was as good as dead.

In the car, Charlie wiped away the tears that threatened to come as he fished out his cellphone from his pocket.

Flipping it open, Charlie speed dialed Don's cell number before he placed the phone to his ear.

One ring, then two rings past before Don answered.

"_Eppes._"

"Don, I need your help." Charlie nearly begged as his voice choked with fear.

Even from his end, Don could tell that Charlie was upset, probably to upset to drive home.

"Charlie, where are you?" Don asked as he laid down the rake and headed towards his car.

"_In the parking lot of the doctor's office._" Charlie replied with tears running down his face.

As Don started his own car and pulled it out on the street, he was still talking with Charlie.

"I'm coming to get you buddy...yeah, right now..I'm leaving right now." Don said as he drove through two intersections before turning on to Ecliptic drive.

The doctor's office was another three blocks away from his position.

The whole trip took a little under seven minutes, when the roads were good.

When they were bad, the trip could take up to twenty minutes to complete!

In just under seven minutes, Don pulled to a stop inside the parking lot.

His eyes raked over the cars, searching for Charlie's.

He finally spotted it, in a parking space about half way to the building.

Moving forward, Don parked his own car next to Charlie's before he hopped out and walked over to Charlie's car.

Walking around, Don went to the passanger side, opened the door, and got in.

Inside the car Don could tell that Charlie was really shaken up about something.

"What's wrong Charlie? What did the doctor say?" Don asked, slightly worried.

The tears were running down Charlie's face as he realized that there was no backing out now.

"The...the doctor said.."Charlie's voice broke.

"Yeah?" Don asked.

"I have cancer Don...and operating is out of the question." Charlie admitted.

A/N: The doctor mentioned in this chapter is actually my doctor.

Dr. Gary McGann, who works at the children's hospital.


End file.
